morebedsidebooks's review
dark
slow-paced
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
4.0
There were times when he knew in his deepest heart that only she understood him in his torment, she being the cause of it, and only she shared with him his desperate secrets and his profound knowledge of evil. At those times he had allowed himself a sense of oneness with her, and even something close to—dare he to think such a thing—something close to love.
Back in the 20th century heyday for gothic suspense and romance there was the US soap opera Dark Shadows. Which became all the rage in 1967 for introducing the character of New England shipping heir turned vampire Barnabas Collins. Too alongside Barnabas (Jonathan Frid), in the role of Angelique Bouchard actress Lara Parker helped bring to life one of the iconic witches and women scorned to be found in fiction. Together with these characters’ century spanning tortuous relationship, Parker’s first book originally published decades later in 1998 further gave Angelique a vivid and horrific backstory in 18th century Martinique among likewise terrible colonial history. Also, the first in a Dark Shadows series that has since continued with Tor Books. I adore the gothic and have to say the books despite caveats remain after all this time still a favoruite.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Animal death, Colonisation, Death, Slavery, Toxic relationship, Confinement, Drug use, Child abuse, Murder, and Sexual assault
YMMV on certain character depictions when it comes to dialect or stereotypes. Also, shall we say some dramatic license when it comes to witchcraft and vodou included.jericoknight's review
5.0
Nobody knows Angelique as well as Lara Parker. And nobody voices her as well. The books gives depth to Angelique's backstory and in the Audible version, Lara Parker reads it beautifully.
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